


Fragments of Wishes

by k_yuuki



Category: Bleach
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fusion, Established Relationship, M/M, Reincarnation, Tanabata AU, UraIchi Prompt Challenge #2
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-31
Updated: 2018-12-31
Packaged: 2019-09-23 11:06:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,524
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17079152
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/k_yuuki/pseuds/k_yuuki
Summary: The dreams started just after his birthday, always full of scenes too realistic and intimate for his mind to imagine. He longed for the enigmatic fair haired figure, the man was always so close to his grasp but he could never reach.Tanabata rolled over. Usually, he never bought into legends and folk tales, but maybe this time, this ludicrous wish of his might just came true.





	Fragments of Wishes

**Author's Note:**

> Well... I can't seem to complete my PC#2 Royalty, have this one instead.
> 
> Loosely based on a Chinese Folk Tale ['The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl'](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cowherd_and_the_Weaver_Girl) and [Tanabata](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanabata%22) Festival, often called 'Star Festival'.
> 
> For Uraichi PC#2 Prompt: Smile.

_For,_  
_As sure as the sun rises,_  
_And the tides will change,_  
_I will always love you,  
_ _And you will always be close to my heart._

— ‘So Far Away, Yet So Close’, by Steve Forsythe

* * *

 

“Are you still waiting for me?” the low voice whispered, his hand reaching for a certain star.

High above the towering prison, laid a man amidst the bright stars and moon. The dimmed light casted shadows on the cornered room of the man’s residence, where he had been separated from his other half all those years ago, now were left searching for a way to reunite. The lone figure took a while to finally sit up, grey eyes flickered as he lowered his hand. “Do you still remember our promise?”

 

***

 

Ichigo woke up drenched in cold sweat, his mind still reeling from dark clutches of his dream, chest heaving, eyes darting around. He could make out the familiar ceiling, his desk on his left side and the moon hung on the right, just outside his window.

_“I will now sentence you,” the old man shouted,  the air around them shattered as rage rolled around him. The blond man beside him lowered his head, all the anger and outrage evaporated to hopelessness. “For the crime of…”_

Ichigo shook his head. The words rang inside his head.

_“…You will be stripped of your powers and eternally banished to earth!”_

It was just a dream, he tried to convince himself out of _despair–injustice–fury,_ those feelings were too real, too hard to place, his heart beat too hard it was painful and it was unfair, because _what did they do to earn that? He was just trying his best, doing what he could to save—_

No, Ichigo decided. It was better just be a dream.

“Are you alright, brother?” Yuzu’s concerned voice startled him out of his thought. Karin was just outside of his periphery, the same frown on her face.

“Yeah, just a nightmare,” Ichigo insisted. It would not do to needlessly worry the twins.

Yuzu fretted, clenching and unclenching her hand. “If you say so, brother.”

Ichigo gently ruffled her head, “Don't worry much about your big brother, Yuzu. I can handle myself.”

Karin grumbled unhappily as her twin went back to the kitchen, both pointedly not looking at him.

 

All he got were fragments of events, remnants of sensations, fleeting touches and hesitant smiles. Intelligent grey eyes flashed briefly, followed by annoying laughs and fake grins. He could make out someone in the states of undress and scars, pained expressions, something told in confidence, of trust. Somebody's warmth beside him in the mix of twilight and dawn. Each one of them was so precious he could not let go and yet he could barely remember any details in the morning.

Ichigo had woken up yet felt like he was drowning.

 

 

 

_“Ara, Ichigo-san,” the familiar tone was light, teasing. “To what do this humble seamster owe to your visit?”_

_"Kisuke-san,” his own voice was clear and fond. “Can’t a guy see his lover without reason?”_

_The blond grinned, a familiar fan quickly obstructing his face. “Oh my, how bold!”_

_Maybe that day he was feeling more than a little bold. Especially seeing the older man in that clothes. For such a traditional robe, the green colored robe fell easily on his body and still had a lot of room if the wearer needed to fight._

_“Kisuke-san, you look good in that,” he added, tone laced with hunger. Ichigo gripped the other’s man hand gently, pulling the calloused hand to his waist, resting his other hand on the pale face, grazing softly at his stubble. His lover leaned in to the warmth with ease, a grin matching his own._

_“Well,” grey eyes sparkled as the robe's pattern glimmered, “I am a royal seamster after all.”_

_Ichigo laughed and leaned in to his ears, voice low and rough, “You look better without them though.”_

_The blond's pupils widen. Licking his lips, he stole a glance to the door. "How about going to the back room, Ichigo-san? I think I have a new product—"_

_Ichigo quickly pulled him to the back and kissed him for an added measure to shut him up._

The dream had been passionate and bold. But at the same time, it was tender and mellow. An everyday life, a happy couple enjoying each other’s presence.

So why did his heart clench painfully as the memory unfold in front of his eyes?

 

 

Cold winter wind bit into his skin and yet Ichigo cared not when he had scaled the roof. It was close to full moon, the stars were hiding behind its shine.

 _“I promise,”_ the voice echoed, warm but sad. What was it again? It was such an important promise too.

Why could he not remember?

Why did he _want_ to remember?

All his dreams were a mix of scattered, broken pieces of someone’s life, a happy one made his heart constricted it was so hard to breathe, a lulling sense of complacency ended in pain and anguish. That life did not seem to end with a happy note.

But those piercing grey eyes were so nostalgic, so close and so real. That smile made him giddy and left him with hope, with strength.

 _“Ichigo-san,”_ the smooth voice rang again. Ichigo's breath hitched, warmth pooled on his stomach and his lungs burnt and his throat constricted.

The moon stared back at him, as if whispering a secret Ichigo could not seem to catch.

Across from the dazzling moon, a lone star shone brighter.

 

 

_The festival was shifting around them, loud and spirited. Ichigo skipped his steps, enjoying the party for the first time since ages. “How is it, Kisuke-san?”_

_The blond laughed, kissing his cheek. Ichigo found this laugh was not so annoying, compared to his fake one. “Thank you, Ichigo-san.”_

_Ichigo pulled him to an almost hug, their breath so close he could feel it tickling his skin, glass like eyes looked at him, wonder and awe echoed his own. “To me,” the seamster started, smiling, “You’re the brightest star in the universe.”_

_Ichigo’s face grew hot. He gave back a shy smile, “And to me, you're the one who shows me the way.”_

Ichigo wondered if that was it like, to be in love and heartbroken at the same time. He looked at the raining petals of cherry trees, closing his eyes at the whispers of a new beginning, a time of renewal. It was so beautiful yet fleeting, the falling blossoms. He had always heard falling in love was like that, but it did not explain the raging desire inside him, a whirlwind of unsorted feelings filled him up, leaving a confused teen in its wake.

He left the _hanami_ ground fast, ignoring the questioning looks from his family. He could almost hear his father waxing about teenage rebellion and puberty. It was too painful to see so many couples around. Not with his other half so far away Ichigo did not even know where he was or if he was even alive. They were both sentenced, the dreams had shown, even if the reason and destination were rather vague. Would it be impossible he was left with eternity without the other?

 

 

 

The season changed faster than his eyes could blink, he was almost a year older since but Ichigo did not feel like so. The teen could not even seem to find his anchor. He drifted from day to day as if he was just a contortion of time, waking up from a fogged dream — another reality he hardly remembered, shadows of memories he tried to grasp and failed — those familiar smiles, soft caresses and water like eyes, watching him as if he had hung the moon and lit up the night sky. A person who he had devoted all his heart to and was returned with the same passion and affection.

The stars above were so close he could almost touch them. Yet the bluish white star blinked at him, faraway out of his reach.

 

 

“Kurosaki-kun,” the teacher called, voice wavering as Ichigo shifted his eyes towards the small man. “Please pay attention.”

“Yes, sir,” he gritted out.

As soon as he sat back down, his mind wandered again.

_The blond smiled, not a hint of despair tainting that face, chained hands cupping Ichigo’s face. “I promise you, Ichigo-san,” he whispered, breath against his skin, “I promise I’ll find you, even if it took me hundreds of years, even if this body ceased to exist and this mind broken, I’ll find you.”_

_“Don’t be stupid, Kisuke-san,” Ichigo found himself replying, a matching smile on his face, gripping back those reassuring hands. Kisuke always had a way with words. “Who says I will not be the one who finds you?”_

_Grey eyes flickered. “It’s a promise.”_

_His lover had always been the one who gave him hope._

 

Ichigo’s feet took him to the nearest tailor shop, taking in the western and minimalist front. It felt wrong, out of place and foreign. It was so close and yet so far, his old home, his promise, the man whose smiles had haunted his dream and wake.

He had thought that shade of pale straw blond was forever out of reach.

Maybe… maybe there was still a chance. Kisuke had always been resourceful, if anyone could find a way to find loopholes of their punishments, it would be him. Ichigo wondered if he should be offended on his own behalf that he could not find a way to find his lover instead.

Nah, he would wait a little more until important bits of his memories to come back. If Kisuke had yet to find him by then, it would be Ichigo’s turn to move.

 

 

It was soothing learning astrology. The brightest star in the sky was Sirius of the Canis Major constellation, the white star shone proudly, untainted and strong. He did not doubt people loved the star, it was one of the most important one in navigation after all, but the one caught his attention was Altair.

 _Hikoboshi,_ his mind supplied, _O-Tanabata_

_Blond hair ruffled under his hand, a soft smile on his face as he teased Ichigo about nonsensical stuff — The man insisted Ichigo to try one of his newest clothes for him to give to the Heaven Emperor — Ichigo poked at his sides, the man jerking away, indignant look on his face. He retaliated with sprinkles of cold water and it ended with Ichigo’s head dunked in the stream — Sleepless nights, whisperings on the ear, a cup of warm tea on one hand and burning of the night light._

He flipped to the former page, showing another star, one separated by the river of the galaxy, and he wrote his notes down disinterestedly. Until he saw the brightest star of Lyra was often paired with Altair and he jotted the sentence with more fervor.

 _Vega,_ it was written.

Outside, out of Ichigo’s ears, the magpies chirped enthusiastically.

 

 

He woke up in fear, his breath uneven, legs jerking as if he had been falling and there was nothing could stop it. His eyes searched for something: familiar grey eyes, knowing smile, straw blond hair he had had on his hand.

That was becoming more and more of a common occurrence as he relearnt the shadows of his room and trying to relax as he counted to ten. It would not do to wake the twins up. Or _Tennō_ forbid, the goat face.

The _Tanabata_ was closing in, an annual festival they celebrated. This time, it felt different. _Something_ was different. Nothing was not out of place, nor there was something wrong of the festival. It was more like _he_ was different.

He looked outside, the moon was obscured and so was the stars, clouds moving lazily with the wind. His eyes caught the rows of birds perching comfortably on their backyard, black and white with tinges of blue. Small and precious, doing their own things without any care of the world.

Magpies, Ichigo noted as he found himself feeding them dried fruits or grains. They were of a good omen, he thought, especially so close to the Star Festival.

Karin had told him to shoo them away but when she caught him feeding them, she just sighed and let him doing whatever he liked. He found a small container of grains on top of his desk the next day.

 

 

The new moon passed and the sky cried, startling the residents. It was not good if it rained on _Tanabata,_ so it was for the best it rained just the day before. He woke up that day, his dreams were haunting him. Flashes of pale yellow and white were burning on the back of his eyelids.

To distract his brain, Ichigo had helped Yuzu with the bamboo stems and the wishing papers. He listened to her stories, about Karin beating up bullies, her home economy classes, this guy who was a bit weird but kind.

That last part made his blood boiled, but Yuzu had assured him Jinta was a nice boy who played football with Karin, laughing as she did so. “How about coming to the next match?” she offered, mischief danced on her face. “You can meet Jinta-kun there, brother.”

“I…” the word stuck on his throat. He could not promise he that. Not after the last promise he had made were still hanging like a guillotine.

“I’ll think about it,” he finished. Ichigo would bet the dark haired girl had already shoved threats down his throat. It was not like the boy had not been warned.

Yuzu gave him a sad look but did not continue the subject. “Do you know there's a kind grandma who always comes to see Dad? She’s so nice! She gave us cookies the other day…”

As he repeated the motion of snipping origami paper, he found the tension eased away. He stared at the pale yellow paper on his hand, a smile flashed, a promise. “You know what, I think I can make my time,” Ichigo blurted out. “When’s the next one?”

Yuzu's answering smile was blinding.

In the end of the day, if he had taken the pale yellow _tanzaku_ paper for himself, it was his secret alone.

 

Ichigo on his way to the football field, a magpie chirped not too far away. He had forgotten to tie the wishing paper up this morning and he probably would have to do so before tonight. The paper was stuck comfortingly on his hand.

His eyes zeroed to the cheery bird when everything around him slowed down, his vision shifted to monochrome and the only thing in color was that yellow. He blinked as realization bloomed into his mind and his world seemed to flutter back into motion, colors exploded back into his brain as their eyes met. Familiar grey eyes widen in surprise, a washed off colored red _tanzaku_ paper on his hand, “…Ichigo-san?”

“What takes you so long, _geta-boushi?"_

A warm smile greeted him.

The seventh day of the seventh month arrived, the Amanogawa finally parted.

**Author's Note:**

> Tanabata, or Star Festival, also called “Evening of Sevens” is a festival in Japan, celebrating the romantic legend of two lovers, derived from China’s Qīxī Festival, held on the 7th day of the 7th month (lunar calendar). Or to the Kantō region, around 6th to 9th of July.
> 
> To oversimplify it, the Legend of Tanabata is about Hikoboshi and Orihime falling in love, forgetting about their job to be make out with each other and so the Heavenly King separates them and only lets them meet once a year, on the Tanabata. This AU doesn’t really follow the story that closely, but the start is similar enough, with a little of Role Reversal thrown in ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
> 
> Tanzaku paper is where you write your wish before tied them in a bamboo branch to be granted.
> 
> Amanogawa means the Milky Way, the river that separated Hikoboshi and Orihime. Or the star Altair and Vega.
> 
> Hanami means flower viewing, a Japanese tradition to welcome spring.
> 
> Feedbacks are welcome~


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